By Marty Henwood (January 2010)
The dog days of winter may seem a rather odd time to launch an apparel brand’s autumn lineup, but that is what pretty well every major golf label on the continent will be doing over the next week or so.
Count Vancouver-based LIJA among them.
With the annual PGA Merchandise Show – golf's equivalent of getting the keys to the candy store– being staged this week in Florida, LIJA will introduce its Fall 2010 lineup, featuring “signature design aesthetics with a twist of the latest runway fashion trends”.
"I am very pleased to be sharing our two new Fall Collections at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show,” says LIJA President and Principal Designer Linda Hipp. “Our collections this Fall are focused on pieces that we know to be proven top sellers for our customers.”
Keeping with their chic, trendy style, the latest offerings from the west coast company will be known as the Eye of the Storm and Dare to Dream. Featuring ultra-modern designs, the collections will, in typical west-coast laid-back fashion, celebrate “that moment of calm and serenity that come with acceptance and simplicity using clean silhouettes and flattering colours.”
“Both collections incorporate the latest style trends and have been designed with strong merchandising principles in mind which we hope will enable fast sell through on the floor,” adds Hipp.
Featuring two new fabrications –Ozone Outwear and Dublin Tweed – the Dare to Dream collection is ideal for cool, wet days on the course. The windproof and water-resistant material is available in Aruba, Toffee, Black and White. The collection, made up of 23 pieces, will ship to retail on June 15th.
One months later, the Eye of the Storm collection is launched featuring more of a pastel colour scheme - Creamsicle Cloud, Nine Iron, Concord and White.
Retailing from $60 for some tops to $150 for select outerwear, the collections are outlined in a new look book format, featuring several pages of lifestyle images to illustrate how LIJA is worn on and off the course. Currently available for retailers and media members, the catalog also includes a new two-page "Hipp Factor," offering the designer's styling insights and emphasizing the line's versatility by showing how six individual pieces can be transformed into 10 distinct outfits.
LIJA was recognized in PROFIT Magazine as one of the Canada’s 100 fastest growing companies in both 2008 and 2009.Other accolades include the Best Ladies’ Apparel nod from the Hacker’s Paradise Golfer’s Choice Awards, 2008 Executive of the Year (ScoreGolf), 2007 Business of the Year from the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and making the list of BC's 50 Fastest-Growing Companies in 2006. Hipp has been named 2008 "Canadian Executive of the Year" by Score Golf, honored as a grant recipient of the Matinee Fashion Foundation Award, which recognizes and funds select Canadian designers, and voted a "40 Under 40" winner by Business in Vancouver.
Considered one of North America’s premier sportswear designers, Hipp founded ‘Hyp Golf’ in 1997. The brand was renamed LIJA in 2004 and, after enjoying booming success in North America, the company has recently began selling into the UK, Ireland, South Africa and UAE markets.
More articles by Marty Henwood
